The Age of Fable eBook

Then the king and he departed, and went till they
came to a hermit, that was a good man and a great
leech. So the hermit searched all his wounds,
and applied good salves; and the king was there three
days, and then were his wounds well amended, that he
might ride and go. So they departed, and as they
rode Arthur said, “I have no sword.”
“No matter,” said Merlin; “hereby
is a sword that shall be yours.” So they
rode till they came to a lake, which was a fair water
and broad. And in the midst of the lake Arthur
was aware of an arm clothed in white samite, [Footnote:
Samite, a sort of silk stuff.] that held a fair sword
in the hand. “Lo!” said Merlin, “yonder
is that sword that I spake of. It belongeth to
the Lady of the Lake, and, if she will, thou mayest
take it; but if she will not, it will not be in thy
power to take it.”

So Sir Arthur and Merlin alighted from their horses,
and went into a boat. And when they came to the
sword that the hand held Sir Arthur took it by the
handle and took it to him, and the arm and the hand
went under the water.

Then they returned unto the land and rode forth.
And Sir Arthur looked on the sword and liked it right
well.

So they rode unto Caerleon, whereof his knights were
passing glad. And when they heard of his adventures
they marvelled that he would jeopard his person so
alone. But all men of worship said it was a fine
thing to be under such a chieftain as would put his
person in adventure as other poor knights did.

CHAPTER VI

SIR GAWAIN

Sir Gawain was nephew to King Arthur, by his sister
Morgana, married to Lot, king of Orkney, who was by
Arthur made king of Norway. Sir Gawain was one
of the most famous knights of the Round Table, and
is characterized by the romancers as the sage
and courteous Gawain. To this Chaucer alludes
in his “Squiere’s Tale,” where the
strange knight “salueth” all the court

“With so high reverence
and observance,
As well in speeche as in countenance,
That Gawain, with his olde
curtesie,
Though he were come agen out
of faerie,
Ne coude him not amenden with
a word.”

Gawain’s brothers were Agrivain, Gahariet, and
Gareth.

SIR GAWAIN’S MARRIAGE

Once upon a time King Arthur held his court in merry
Carlisle, when a damsel came before him and craved
a boon. It was for vengeance upon a caitiff knight,
who had made her lover captive and despoiled her of
her lands. King Arthur commanded to bring him
his sword, Excalibar, and to saddle his steed, and
rode forth without delay to right the lady’s
wrong. Ere long he reached the castle of the
grim baron, and challenged him to the conflict.
But the castle stood on magic ground, and the spell
was such that no knight could tread thereon but straight
his courage fell and his strength decayed. King